De Geusselt Swimming Pool

The swimming pool consists of six wooden trusses with large spans of 33 metres. In addition, wooden hollow-core slabs were used for the floor as well as roofing sheets, sourced from supplier Lignatur in Switzerland. “This is not a standard structure, and the use of timber permitted more flexibility”, said Bas de Leijer, project manager in the Netherlands. For him, the use of wood was key to the success of the project. “Timber is really good in humidity, especially in a chlorine environment such as a pool. With steel, additional protection is needed.”

The swimming pool was also constructed from sustainable materials that have little or no environmental impact when they reach the end of their lifespan (cradle to cradle). And today, the building is self-sufficient in the production of clean energy (carbon-neutral).

On this project, WSP advised the use of concrete granulate to enable a cradle to cradle (C2C) solution. Based on our knowledge and research conducted by BAS, a Dutch company which provides services to the building sector, a mixture with a maximum capacity of granulate was chosen to replace coarse aggregate. The demolition material is sieved to a fraction of 4-16 mm to make it suitable for use in new concrete. The process uses less cement and produces a concrete of the same quality.

The swimming pool was designated as a pilot project for a BREEAM certificate in the Netherlands. This was done by Grontmij in cooperation with the Dutch Green Building Council.

The swimming pool accommodation includes: catering, toddler and paddling pools, a whirlpool, a recreational pool, a sparkling pool, a target group and competition pool, an additional competition pool with 220 seats, a special needs pool, a catering terrace, physiotherapy, meeting rooms, office space and staff rooms.

On this project, WSP provided structural engineering and energy advisory services.